The College of Education and Human Development recently
established the new Center for Community Based and Applied Health Research
(CCBAHR) at The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Under the direction of Drs. Erica Sosa and Meizi He, faculty
in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition, the CCBAHR will
provide access to health education, screenings, and other related services
based on collaborative and interdisciplinary applied health research. This
research, Sosa said, will help the center address a variety of health related
issues, including obesity, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sexual
health, and alcohol and tobacco use.

"The CCBAHR is dedicated to identifying sustainable
approaches for behavioral medicine application to community health problems," said Sosa. "The key to our success is that our work is community-based, meaning
the community members are active partners in the assessment of health needs,
identification of these sustainable approaches for behavior medicine
applications, evaluating the approaches, and disseminating the results."

The center will work with a Community Advisory Board to help
them identify and provide the types of services needed in the San Antonio and
south Texas community.

"Our previous work has primarily focused on diabetes and
obesity prevention," said He. "With the increased expertise among our faculty
and interdisciplinary researchers across UTSA, we are now able to better partner
with communities to address an increased number of health related issues."

Undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of
Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition and across the university will be able to
complete internships in the center and work under leading scholars in the field
of community and public health.

"One exciting aspect of the CCBAHR is that students will
have the opportunity to work across projects and learn about different
disciplines' approaches to addressing health issues," said Sosa. "This is an
incredible opportunity for students not only in our department, but in any
department that has a vested interest in community-based and applied health
research."

The center plans to open its physical doors in the spring of
2018.

"We are most excited by the potential of the CCBAHR to make
lasting impacts in improving the health and wellbeing of communities, and
generating new knowledge to the scientific field," said He. "We have an
extraordinary team who have all done great work in their communities, research
laboratories, and elsewhere. Being able to have this strong partnership to
focus on their efforts towards addressing health issues, especially among the
most vulnerable communities, is wonderful. We can do so much more together than
we've ever done alone or in small teams."